Mother Teresa
We were told that Aylesbury's Barnaby George Courtney worked at PC World while earning the money to make this record. Actually, he spent his younger years in L.A. and has never been short of a bob or two. Of this song, Barnes says 'I wrote this song about a post apocalyptic cult leader who robs a bank dressed as Mother Teresa'
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Optimystic
San Francisco's Benjamin Lev Kweller was a 2XS favourite some years ago. Good to hear he's back!
Sin City
The Ohio garage-blues-rock duo are Dan Auerbach (vcls, gtrs) and Patrick Carney (drms). This track is available on the limited edition version of this album, with backing vocals by Beck (Hansen)
Out Of Order
Doncaster's Pete Spiby (ex-Groop Dogdrill) leads the Sheffield 'gumbo noise' merchants, who return with another supremely catchy instant rock hit. The album is due Feb 2025
I Like Your Look
Tom Ogden's Stockport band is an 'alliance of best friends, all born in the same hospital, Stepping Hill'. This is their fifth studio album
Where Are You?
The post-punk band formed in 1981 in Middleton, Manchester, and cited as having inspired the likes of The Verve, Oasis, Interpol, The Killers and Editors. Mark Burgess had been in The Cliches, while Reg Smithies and Dave Fielding were in Years. This is their first full album since 2001
Fig Tree
Bournemouth's 'firebrand' songwriter (she's in Manchester now) "fills her addictive songs with observations of the issues affecting Gen-Z, from influencer culture to the state of UK politics". Wow. You need to be on-side, though
Like You Did Before
This is the sixth album by the respected Liverpool indies, masters of the modern 3-minute song. The line-up is Kieran Shudall (vcls, gtr), Sam Rourke (bass), Colin Jones (drms) and Joe Falconer (gtr)
A Fragile Thing
The fourteenth album by Robert Smith's indies sees them return 16 years after '4:13 Dream', and Crawley's finest get huge critical acclaim once again
Alone
The fourteenth album by Robert Smith's indies sees them return 16 years after '4:13 Dream', and Crawley's finest get huge critical acclaim once again
Born With A Broken Heart
Rome's Damiano David is also the frontman of the band Maneskin
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Hurt
The Boston (USA) rockers are Jack Underkofler (vcls), Jack Collins (gtr), Nick Taylor (bass), and Will Goodroad (drms). The Warning's Dany & Pau are the featured vocalists on this remix of the track from 2024's 'Fission'
Up And Away
The band's anme is an anagram of lead guitarist and co-songwriter Andrew Golding. He was previously a co-founder of indie noise-pop legends, The Wolfhounds. Now joined by vocalist Nik Cockshott, this is the first single from their 2025
Broken
Bogota's Gabriela Jimeno Caldas was a hard rock drummer from 12 to 18, when she left for the USA. This is her second album, with songs co-composed with Katie O'Neill
Upwards
Bogota's Gabriela Jimeno Caldas was a hard rock drummer from 12 to 18, when she left for the USA. This is her second album, with songs co-composed with Katie O'Neill
Broken Biscuits
Fronted by Lily Fontaine, the Leeds four-piece graduate band had a huge 2024 thanks to a fine debut album which contained this anti-Tory song
Peace Song
The London post-punksters are led by Joe Love (ld gtr) with Jazz (vcls, kybds), Will (synth), Johnny (drms), Ben (bass), occasionally joined by sax player, Morgan. They describe what they do as 'music to grow your hairline back to'. This single release follows 2024's album, 'Woof'
Volumes Of Silence
A rather wonderful chunk of indie-rock from Manchester's Ol (gtr ,kybds, vcls), Al (gtrs, vcls), Birch (vcls), Ez (gtrs,vcls) and Rob (vcls, words & prod) - plus some guests. A good example of one of those new songs you think you've known for years. This could even be from the acclaimed 1966 'Nuggest' compilation! Nice keys, too
Bug
Previously The Fontaines, this is the fourth album by the Dublin based band which comprises Grian Chatten (vcls), Conor Deegan (bass), Carlos O'Connell (gtr), Conor Curley (gtr), and Tom Coll (drms). The band got their name from a character in the movie 'The Godfather' called Johnny Fontane, a singer and movie star portrayed by Al Martino
Night Or Day
Glasgow's FF release their sixth studio album
Dud
Gum is Freemantle (Western Australia)'s Ambrose Kenny Smith and Jay Watson
This Side Of The Island
Washington, DC's James Hamilton Leithauser is best known as lead vocalist with The Walkmen. After a reunion tour, they failed to reunite, but Leithauser now releases this solo song 'about disillusionment, acceptance, and resolve'
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Goodbye Drama Queen
This is the second collaboration between David McAlmont and our favourite Soup Dragon, Sean Dickson. It follows their 2023 debut, 'Happy Ending'
Nothing Higher
The Cardiff quartet was started by teenage schoolfriends Joe Williams (ld vcls, gtr) and Mike Griffiths (vcls, ld gtr), who bonded over a love of Arctic Monkeys (as you can hear), The Strokes and The Libertines. They were then joined by Louis Heaps (bass) and James Goulbourn (drms)
New Day Rising
The L.A. muso tells us this "is a song about being the change you wish to see in the world"
Company Culture
Unlike their eponymous drink, Brighton's Phoebe Lunny, Lilly Macieira-Bosgelmez, Jack Looker are quite pokey. And they're closing their X account to prove how right-on they are. So there.
Cry For Me
The Miami alt-po duo are Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin. This is their second album and they're now based in L.A.
Peace Of Mind
Jason Singer formed the band in 2014 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. This is his debut full-length album
Time Waited
The Louisville, Kentucky, alt-rockers started out in 1998. They are led by singer-songwriter & guitarist, Jim James, and are now on their 10th album
Under My Skin
Julie Dawson, Aindle O'Beirn and Fiachra Parslow started the Galway band while in secondary school in 2018. They've since been joined by Sean O'Dowd on lead guitar and this single follows their acclaimed 2014 album 'Madra'
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Doing Something
Recording in London and Brooklyn, Andrew Price impressively reinvents distorted guitar rock. Well timed, too, as we head towards the third generation (mid-60s, 90s, 20s)
Ready To Go Home
The Centre Cannot Hold
Numb To What Is Real
Formerly known as Daylight, the alt-rock band is from Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and started in 2008
The Recogniser
The London indie-rockers followed their debut EP 'Head Leaking' with this, and it's another pretty impressive effort
Bright Eyes
Bring on the sixth album by the Stockholm rockers, who've been at it since 2010
Love, If You Want It
The highly talented production foursome are based in Glasgow and recorded this in frontman Thom's Airdrie studio
Lost
The English duo, Dave Pen and Robin Foster, create anthemic electro-prog soundscapes that combine guitars and electronics with lyrical subjects inspired by love, loss, paranoia and... robots. Dave is the singer and musician of electro-rock collectives Archive and Birdpen, and Robin is an English guitarist and composer based in France
Failure Is The Mother Of Success
Says our old chum Ginger: "it's about getting back on your feet after things have gone wrong. There's an old saying, 'fall down three times, get up four'". Album release is March 2025
Blood On The Hospital Floor
The Liverpool indies reach their sixth album with this single being accompanied by an impressive retro video created by James Slater